Bound To Be Dead: Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series Book 3 by Tamra Baumann (best historical fiction books of all time txt) 📗

“Great point.” I grab Cooper’s leash and clip it on. “See you in a bit.”

Nan shakes her head. “It’d be best if you went right home after you gals get back. So you can spend a little more time with Brittany before her mom gets in. I’ll stay and lock up.”

Nan’s offer makes my heart go all gooey. “You’re the best!” I give Nan a hug. “Thank you.”

She leans back and frowns. “Get going, you two. I have work to do.”

She hates hugging, but Nan hugged me right back. Her reputation as the grumpy town librarian cracked for a second there. And I love it.

Madge toots her horn again, so Coop and I hurry to the curb. I open the VW Bug’s door, and Cooper jumps in first. After I clip Coop in, I settle in my seat and say, “Let’s hit it.”

“Hang on!” Madge grins as she guns the engine.

I grab the leather handle and hope we make it in one piece. I’ve only driven with Madge around town, never on PCH. Especially going way over the speed limit on windy roads with solid rock formations on one side and the Pacific Ocean hundreds of feet below on the other. I turn around to check on my dog, and he’s huddled on the floorboard in the back where I wish I could be too. Then I wouldn’t have to see the rocks in my face or the angry churning waves before we crash into them.

We really should’ve taken my car.

To make matters worse, Madge cranks up the radio and starts singing Beach Boys songs I’m pretty sure were written in my parents’ childhood days. That’s all we need. More distraction on what could be mistaken for a theme park ride—one without tracks and safety bars across our laps.

But then, it’s the Beach Boys, so the dormant words buried somewhere deep in my brain come out too. It’s either join in and hope for the best or have a nervous breakdown, so before long, I’m also singing. And having fun for the first time in days.

What is it about doing risky things that makes a person feel so alive?

Madge takes a hand off the wheel, and my euphoric bubble explodes.

“There.” She waves her pointed finger in front of my face. “See that?”

“What am I looking for?” I study the hillside whizzing past us. “All I see is a crash in our future if you don’t put your hand back on the wheel.”

Laughing, Madge says, “Hemlock. It grows wild along the highways. All the plants we talked about last night do. If someone knew what they were looking for, they’d have their choice of poisons.”

“Really?” I look again and still don’t see anything unusual, but then, it’s probably always been there. “You’d think they’d do something about that.”

Madge hitches a shoulder. “Cavemen used rocks to kill their enemies. Can’t confiscate all of those. If someone is going to commit murder, they’ll find a way. But there must be something unique about what killed Tina because Dylan is going to great lengths to hide the type of poison from the record.”

“Probably so you won’t snoop and find it,” I bark out over the loud music and road noise.

She laughs. “Of course, that’s why. But this time, there’s something different. I hate to say this, but I think he’s being so secretive because of you.”

“Me?” I take my eyes off the curvy road and face Madge.

She nods. “Because of your family. Maybe he doesn’t want us to be tempted if we find something incriminating.”

My stomach sinks. “He must think there could be something for us to find.” I mull this over for a few moments. “What would I do if I found out my father was responsible for Tina’s death? It’d be a huge temptation to bury what we find. Is this trip a mistake?” I stare out the windshield in an oddly calm state. Suddenly, a car crash doesn’t seem as scary as finding something that could send my father to jail for the rest of his life.

“Earth to Sawyer.” Madge snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Knock it off. Now is not the time to doubt. Instead, now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Or party, as it was originally written. But in this case, we can substitute father.”

I can’t help the ghost of a smile that’s threatening. “Thanks for the middle school typing flashback. I hated that class.”

“Really? I loved it.” Madge grins. “And hasn’t it occurred to you that you are also related to another prime suspect? Your uncle? Maybe Dylan is making sure any evidence collected is done by the book so Frank won’t slip out of this one.”

That makes my stomach feel a whole lot better. “Excellent point.”

Madge rolls her eyes. “Now pull it together, because we’re almost there. What’s our plan?”

Happy for the distraction, I grab the phone from my purse. “I found profile pictures to show around The Blue Hippo and the B and B next door. Hopefully, someone will be willing to spill.”

Madge pats her purse. “I brought a few twenties to help with that in the event we need to grease some palms. And you know I’m always packing, so we should be good.”

“If we make it there alive,” I mumble under my breath and hang on tighter.

“I heard that,” Madge says and steps on the gas.

“Let’s be clear about one thing. There will be no pulling out guns.” The last thing we need is to be thrown in jail too.

“It could be a last resort.” Madge slows the car to the posted speed limit for a change. “The real problem is Pattie could be lying. We need to verify both relationships if we can. Pattie and the mystery man, who we have to hope has a limp or something identifiable, and your uncle and Tina’s alleged affair.”

“Alleged affair?